KUALA LUMPUR: Sebahagian besar kenderaan yang diparkir di tempat letak kereta di Pusat Dagangan Dunia (WTC), di sini, petang tadi, ditenggelami air sedalam hampir setengah meter akibat hujan lebat.

Berdasarkan gambar yang tular melalui media sosial, kira-kira 50 kenderaan yang diletakkan berdekatan Sungai Gombak, terjejas.

Kawasan sekitar sesak dengan kenderaan susulan ketika ini berlangsung Perhimpunan Agung UMNO (PAU) 2024 menimbulkan suasana panik seketika, namun ia dapat dikawal dengan bantuan pelbagai pihak termasuk pihak pengurusan WTC untuk mengeluarkan kenderaan yang terbabit.

Banjir kilat sejak jam 3 petang itu mengakibatkan limpahan air Sungai Gombak naik hingga membanjiri WTC dan sebuah hotel berhampiran.

Tidak jauh dari lokasi sama, kejadian banjir turut menjejaskan puluhan kenderaan yang diletakkan di bekas tapak Hentian Bas Putra, yang kini dijadikan tempat letak kereta awam.

Banjir berlaku dipercayai akibat air yang bertakung serta limpahan dari saluran air berhampiran.

Sehingga jam 6.45 petang tadi pihak Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) Kuala Lumpur, masih belum mengeluarkan sebarang kenyataan.

Tiada sebarang kemalangan jiwa dilaporkan berlaku.

Hujan mula reda dan banjir mula surut kira-kira jam 6.45 petang tadi.

Kuala Lumpur: Tujuh lokasi sekitar ibu negara dilanda banjir kilat susulan hujan lebat berterusan sejak petang.

Berdasarkan laporan Pusat Info Trafik dan Kawalan Lampu Isyarat Kuala Lumpur (KLCCC), lokasi terbabit adalah Segambut Bypass, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Jalan Pahang, Jalan Genting-Klang dan Jalan Dutamas.

"Turut mengalami banjir kilat adalah Jalan Kepong dan Jalan Kuching," katanya ketika dihubungi. 

Dalam pada itu, turut tular gambar beberapa kenderaan diparkir berhampiran Pusat Dagangan Dunia (WTC) Kuala Lumpur, ditenggelami air akibat hujan lebat, selain beberapa jalan utama di ibu negara sesak.

PETALING JAYA: Residents of Kampung Jawa Yan said their concerns of flash floods in their village have been alleviated following the construction of a sabo dam at Gunung Jerai in Kedah.

Basyiratunnur, 23, who stays 2.4km from the dam with five family members, was one of many affected by the flash flood in 2021.

“My grandmother Saniah, 75, father Ahmad Nasir, 53, mother Farihah, 50, two younger siblings Busyra, 17, and Aisyah, seven, and I were in the house when the flash flood happened. It was a bad day for us.”

She said the flood happened in the late evening as it had been raining heavily since morning.

“At 3pm, I was in an online class and heard a loud and weird sound. When I looked outside, water had risen to the side of the house.

“My house is a bit elevated, so the water did not enter initially. However, the mud around the house was almost knee high.”

She said the water level reached the kitchen but thankfully, her family managed to move the furniture to a higher level.

“Alhamdulillah, the damage to my house was not much because my family and I managed to move the items in the kitchen area.”

She said they are relieved with the completion of the project as there has since been no more flooding in the area.

Siti Hajar, 26, who volunteered in a three day programme organised by the Ad Diniah Volunteer Organisation to help the flash flood victims, said there was a lot of damage due to the mud.

“Furniture, doors, electrical items, mattresses and gas stoves were damaged.”

She said the flash flood impact was terrible and several houses had thick mud covering the floors.

During the cleanup, she helped separate things that needed to be thrown away and washed soiled dishes.

She also prepared equipment to be used when cleaning the houses of residents.

Siti Hajar said many family members came to help the cleaning and debris clearing process.

Although locals are relieved with the completion of the two sabo dams in Titi Hayun and Merbok in the neighbouring Kuala Muda district, the memory of the disaster remains.

Basyirah and her family expressed gratitude at the completion of the project as it eases their anxiety every time it rains at the peak of Gunung Jerai.

She said since the completion of the sabo dam, she has not seen the river overflow during heavy rain.

The sabo dams are the first ever constructed in Malaysia and were built at a cost of RM22.8 million, following the water surge disaster in Gunung Jerai on Aug 18, 2021.

Six people were killed and over 2,000 houses and business premises were damaged in the incident, that was the worst tragedy recorded in Gunung Jerai.

GEORGE TOWN: Two main dams in Penang have seen a significant drop in raw water storage, with levels falling below 30% as of Monday.

Penang Water Supply Corporation chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan said the Air Itam Dam’s effective capacity was at 29.7%, equating to 641 million litres out of a total capacity of 2,159 million litres.

He also said the Teluk Bahang Dam’s effective capacity was at 26.4%, equating to 4,810 million litres out of a maximum capacity of 18,240 million litres.

He added that the rate of reduction in the Air Itam Dam capacity has decreased from an average of 0.82% or 17.61 million litres per day in July to 0.51% or 11 million litres per day in the first 12 days of August.

The Teluk Bahang Dam’s effective capacity, which is 8.45 times that of the Air Itam Dam, has also decreased at a slower rate, from 0.31% or 57.1 million litres per day in July to 0.27% or 48.33 million litres per day in August.

He said recent low rainfall has worsened conditions at the dams.

The Air Itam Dam water catchment areas received just 48mm of rain last month and 36mm in the first 12 days of this month while the Teluk Bahang Dam water catchment areas received 47mm of rain this month, decreasing from 84mm during the same period last year.

He said although the current rainfall is insufficient to increase the effective capacities, it does help to slow down the rate of decrease.

To meet water demand, the corporation releases an average of 22.16 million litres per day from the Air Itam Dam to areas such as Air Itam, Farlim and nearby regions.

In addition, 68.06 million litres per day are released from the Teluk Bahang Dam to supply water to Teluk Bahang, Batu Ferringhi, Tanjung Bungah and surrounding areas.

Pathmanathan urged residents in the state to conserve water to help sustain raw water reserves until the next rainy season, Bernama reported.

Commenting on cloud seeding, he said the Disaster Management Agency informed the corporation on Aug 9 that operations would only proceed following advice from the Malaysian Meteorological Department and subject to the availability of Air Force aircraft.

As of Aug 11, rainfall has not been sufficient to improve water storage levels at Penang dams. The Air Itam Dam effective capacity has decreased by 1.2% while the Teluk Bahang Dam effective capacity has fallen by 0.8%.